No acute suppression of cerebrospinal fluid corticotropin-releasing hormone in man by cortisol administration

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is regarded as index of brain endocrine and behavioral functioning. We investigated the acute effects of intravenous cortisol (100 mg) vs. placebo on serial CSF CRH in ten healthy men. CSF CRH concentrations were not significantly suppressed by cortisol within 3 h. The origin and regulation of CSF CRH need further research.     

Psychological coping styles and cortisol over the day in healthy older adults

Patterns of psychological coping are associated with a variety of health outcomes but the underlying pathways are not yet established. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between salivary cortisol output over the course of a day and coping style. Data were available from 350 men and 192 women with an average age of 60.9 years. Participants were drawn from the Whitehall II cohort, and had no history of cardiovascular disease. Individuals who were taking medication that might affect cortisol levels were also excluded. Saliva samples were provided on waking, then 0.5, 2.5, 8 and 12 h after waking, and just before the participant went to sleep. Coping style was measured with a standard instrument, the COPE, and data were factor analysed to generate three factors: seeking social support, problem engagement and problem avoidance. The relationships between these factors and the cortisol awakening response (CAR), the slope of cortisol change over the day and total cortisol output over the day (excluding the waking period) were assessed using multiple linear regression. Cortisol output over the day was inversely associated with coping with stress by seeking social support (p=0.034) and by problem engagement (p=0.003), independently of age, gender, body mass index, smoking, depression, self-rated health, time of waking and income. Individuals who coped by problem engagement and seeking support had lower cortisol levels. Additionally, gender, BMI, smoking, self-rated health and time of waking were independently related to cortisol output over the day. There were no significant associations between coping and the CAR or cortisol slope over the day. The results indicate that adaptive coping styles are related to low levels of cortisol over the day, suggesting that neuroendocrine pathways may partly mediate relationships between psychological coping and health.     

Is the cortisol awakening rise a response to awakening?

A distinct rise in cortisol levels that occurs after morning awakening is increasingly used as an indicator of adrenocortical activity which is associated with different pathologies. Although it was previously assumed that the transition from sleep to wake is essential for the occurrence of the cortisol morning rise, this has never been tested. Here, we examined 16 healthy young men (20-33 yrs) between 2300 and 0800 h under sleep laboratory conditions. Serum cortisol and plasma adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) as well as salivary cortisol levels (after subjects were woken up at 0700 h) were repeatedly assessed. In a supplementary study condition, salivary cortisol levels in the first hour after awakening were measured at the subjects' home on two consecutive days. Comparison of pre- and post awakening measurements revealed significantly steeper increases in cortisol and ACTH after awakening. The rise in cortisol upon awakening under laboratory conditions did not significantly differ from that observed at home. We conclude that the cortisol increase after awakening is a response to morning awakening that is distinct from the circadian rise in hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity in the morning hours. Although the cortisol awakening response is modulated by circadian influences, it primarily reflects phasic psychophysiological processes specific to the sleep-wake transition.     

Emotional stress,cortisol response,and cortisol rhythm in autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review

BackgroundThis systematic review evaluated whether there is evidence for (i) increased emotional stress levels, and (ii) a different biological stress response or rhythm [i.e., cortisol stress response, diurnal rhythm, or cortisol awakening response (CAR)] in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) relative to controls. Thirdly, the evidence for an association between emotional and biological stress in ASD was reviewed.MethodMEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and SAGE journals were searched until December 2020. In this review, there were no limitations regarding age, sex, or intelligence quotient. Studies were only reviewed if results were compared with controls without a developmental disorder. Only salivary cortisol was considered as biological stress measure.ResultsThirty-one studies were reviewed. Significantly higher self- and parent-reported emotional stress levels were found in individuals with ASD compared to controls. Regarding biological stress, the few studies in adults reported comparable cortisol stress responses and rhythms between both groups. In children/adolescents with ASD relative to controls, an increased, blunted, or similar cortisol stress response was reported, whereas the CAR did not differ in most studies, and diurnal rhythm was described as blunted or similar. Most studies found no significant association between parent-reported emotional stress and biological stress in ASD.ConclusionsCurrent findings suggest that heightened emotional stress is a clinically significant factor in ASD. To unravel the cortisol response and rhythm, research in specific subgroups within the ASD spectrum is warranted, aiming at a higher frequency of cortisol measurements, preferably combined with momentary emotional stress measurements.     

血清甲状腺激素、肾上腺皮质激素水平变化与产后抑郁的关系研究

目的探讨分娩前后一周血清甲状腺激素及肾上腺皮质激素水平变化对产后抑郁的影响。方法选取2012年3月-2012年9月在贵阳医学院附属医院就诊的395例孕产妇为研究对象,采用爱丁堡产后抑郁量表(EPDS)对其产后抑郁状况进行评定,并用采用生物素双抗体夹心酶联免疫吸附法(ELISA)测定产妇血清皮质醇(Cor)、三碘甲状腺原氨酸(T3)、四碘甲状腺原氨酸(T4)、促甲状腺激素(TSH)、五羟色胺(5-HT)水平。结果 1产后一周抑郁症状检出人数为48例,检出率为12.15%。2抑郁组与非抑郁组COR均高于正常值,抑郁组产后COR稍高于非抑郁组,两两间差异均无统计学意义(P0.05)。3抑郁组产后血清TSH水平低于非抑郁组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。4相关分析显示:产后EPDS得分与产后血清皮质醇水平呈正相关、与产后5-HT、T3及TSH水平呈负相关(P0.05)。5逐步线性回归分析显示:甲状腺激素水平及肾上腺皮质醇水平对产后抑郁的直接预测效应无显著意义(P0.05),对5-HT水平有显著预测效应,预测变异量为65.6%(P0.05)。结论 5-HT及其受体功能对产后抑郁的发病起重要作用,产后血清甲状腺激素水平及肾上腺皮质醇水平对的产后抑郁没有直接作用,但通过作用于5-羟色胺水平影响产后抑郁症状的发生。     

脑卒中患者血浆皮质醇变化与意识障碍的关系

用放免法检测５０例脑卒中患者早期和恢复期的血浆皮质醇，结果显示脑出血组和脑梗塞组均比对照组升高（Ｐ〈０．０１，Ｐ〈００５），病情轻，重二组比较皮质醇值有显著差异（Ｐ〈０．０１），康复组与死亡组比较皮质醇有显著差异（Ｐ〈０．０１），提示脑卒中早期皮质醇值升高，其程度与意识障碍和运动障碍有关，其值可作为判断病情和估计预后的指标。     

Effects of prolonged stress on salivary cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone: a study of a two-week teaching practice

This study investigated variations in salivary levels of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in a prolonged stressful situation (a two-week teaching practice). Thirty-three women for whom a two-week teaching practice at a kindergarten was scheduled were asked to collect saliva samples at awakening, 30 min after awakening, and bedtime at four time points: two weeks before the practice, the first week of the practice, the second week of the practice, and a few days after the practice. In addition, they completed questionnaires for assessing perceived stress and subjective moods on each day. A linear mixed model indicated that cortisol levels significantly increased during the first and second week of the practice compared with those before and after the practice period, and that DHEA levels significantly decreased after the practice period compared with those at the other time points. Further, cortisol awakening response after the practice period significantly reduced compared with that at the other time points. Scores of perceived stress and negative moods were also higher during the practice period. This study showed that prolonged stress affected cortisol and DHEA secretion during as well as after the stress period.     

Diurnal pattern of cortisol output in postnatal depression

This study investigated the diurnal output of saliva cortisol in women with symptoms of depression postnatally. Twenty-one depressed and 30 non-depressed women at 7.5 weeks postpartum, and 21 non-perinatal controls, collected saliva at waking, 30 min, and 3 and 12 h postwaking. Women who were not depressed postnatally showed a pattern of cortisol secretion over the day similar to non-perinatal controls. There was a significant difference in diurnal pattern between postnatally depressed and postnatally non-depressed women, due to a difference in the first two time points (waking and +30 min): compared to the other two groups who each had a significant increase in cortisol levels from waking to +30 min, the depressed women had significantly higher cortisol levels at waking and no increase at +30 min. The lack of a morning rise in the depressed women is similar to that reported for posttraumatic stress disorder and chronic fatigue syndrome and may reflect a response, in vulnerable women, to the marked cortisol withdrawal that occurs after delivery.     

Effects of stimulants and atomoxetine on cortisol levels in children with ADHD

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have lower diurnal cortisol levels than non-ADHD comparison subjects. Aiming at elucidating the effects of medications used to treat ADHD, we investigated saliva cortisol in children with ADHD: 20 without medication, 147 on methylphenidate, and 21 on atomoxetine. The only significant finding was that children on atomoxetine had higher cortisol levels at bedtime than unmedicated children.     

Nocturnal melatonin and cortisol secretion in newly admitted psychiatric inpatients

Summary Melatonin secretion has been suggested as a marker of both circadian and noradrenergic dysfunction in affective disorders. Seventy-two newly admitted psychiatric inpatients [49 with major depressive disorder (MDD), 12 with schizophrenia, and 11 with intermittent depressive disorder (IDD)] underwent neuroendocrine screening at 0200, 0800, 1600 and 2300 hours prior to and the day following dexamethasone administration. All groups showed a drop in cortisol following dexamethasone. Dexamethasone nonsuppression was found in 20 of 49 patients with MDD, in none of the schizophrenics and in none of those with intermittent depressive disorder. Mean melatonin levels decreased significantly after the administration of dexamethasone across all four groups. Overall, the schizophrenic group had a significantly greater mean melatonin level than each of other three groups, whereas the three depressive groups did not differ significantly from one another. Only at 2300 hours did both the schizophrenic group and the MDD patients with normal dexamethasone suppression show significantly greater melatonin levels than the MDD patients with dexamethasone nonsuppression or the IDD group. The observed trend for a low circadian melatonin profile in IDD patients with superimposed personality disorders is puzzling.     

Serotonin indices and impulsivity in normal volunteers

Hormonal responses to oral paroxetine were examined in a group of healthy subjects. The calcium response to serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5HT), mediated by platelet 5HT_2A, was also measured. Paroxetine elicited a cortisol response that was directly correlated with the magnitude of platelet calcium response. The cortisol response was also correlated with the trait of impulsivity. These results suggest that paroxetine may be a useful probe in studies of serotonergic systems.     

Cortisol concentrations in 12- to 18-month-old infants: stability over time, location, and stressor.

BACKGROUND: Sparse information on early development of hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis responsivity in human infants limits our understanding of stress hormone regulation and vulnerability to psychopathology. We considered whether infant cortisol stress response (CSR) is a suitable endocrine phenotype for developmental stress research. METHODS: We assessed stability of key CSR parameters across time, location, and stressor through saliva samples taken before and then 20 and 40 min following exposure to two stressors administered 1 week apart in 27 infants aged 12 to 18 months. Time-matched home samples were collected to control for circadian rhythm and to evaluate baseline stability. RESULTS: Baseline cortisol concentrations, peak percent change, and area under the curve (AUC) were stable across time and stressors. Following both stressors, half the infants exhibited peak cortisol concentrations at 20 min poststress; half peaked at 40 min poststress. For 56% of the infants, peak response time was inconsistent across stressors. CONCLUSIONS: In humans, baseline and CSR are stable by 12 to 18 months. Variation in CSR time course across stressors indicates that infant CSR should be sampled beyond 30 min. Results support using infant CSR, particularly as measured by AUC, as a valid endocrine phenotype for developmental stress research.     

Effects of cortisol on the laterality of the neural correlates of episodic memory

Alterations in the laterality of cortical activity have been shown in depressive illnesses. One possible pathophysiological mechanism for this is an effect of corticosteroids. We have previously demonstrated that endogenous cortisol concentrations correlate with the asymmetry of cortical activity related to episodic memory in healthy subjects and depressed patients. To further-examine whether this is due to a causal effect of cortisol on the laterality of episodic memory, we studied the effect of exogenous administration of cortisol in healthy subjects. Twenty-three right-handed healthy male volunteers were tested in a double-blind cross-over study. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during an episodic memory task following a four-day course of 160mg/day cortisol or placebo. Low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) was used to identify brain regions involved in the neurocognitive task. Cortisol levels were measured in saliva samples. ERP and LORETA analysis following placebo demonstrated significant left parahippocampal activation associated with successful retrieval. Cortisol led to a decrease in the mean early frontal ERP voltage and an increase in the late right ERP voltage. LORETA suggested this to be due to a significant increased late activation of the right superior frontal gyrus. There was no significant effect of cortisol on episodic memory performance. This study suggests that exogenous cortisol leads to more positive-going waveforms over the right than the left hemisphere, possibly due to increased monitoring of the products of retrieval. The results support the hypothesis of causal effects of cortisol on the laterality of cortical activity occurring during an episodic memory task.